Saturday 26 May 2012
Headlines
Did you find this story interesting? (0) (0)
14/02/2008 12:10:30
Access to coast: Natural England remarks not helping says CLA
Douglas Chalmers, Director CLA North, has criticised Natural England for dismissing the concerns of owners and managers of land in the push to open up coastal access for the benefit of leisure users.
Commenting on a remark made by Martin Doughty, Natural England Chairman, at CLA's Cornish AGM, Mr Chalmers said:
"It is not helpful when the Chairman of Natural England tells an audience of landowners that if they didn't like Government's plans for their land, "they should sell up".
"There is no doubt that this is a very contentious subject, with strong views on both sides of the argument. However, from the land managers' point of view, the concerns are clear.
"Why is there a presumption against compensation? It is grossly unfair that businesses can be affected and incomes threatened without any redress.
Suggestions that recompense may come via environmental payments are not guaranteed and are of little comfort when we know that these funds are already stretched. We also remain concerned about the issue of liability. We are all aware of the dangers of walking along some parts of the Coast, and I for one would not like to choose between facing a newly calved cow and a cliff edge.
"70% of the English coastline already has some form of legal right or formally recognised access and Natural England itself has admitted that there is no groundswell of concern about the existing situation."
"Indeed, visitors appear satisfied with this existing provision and we have to ask if this exercise will repeat the process of implementing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, which took years, spent millions, and does not appear to have increased the number of walkers nor the places they go.
"The need or demand for new legislation simply does not exist and we must have a more measured debate that addresses the real issues affecting real people."
The CLA will shortly be taking representatives of Natural England to see particular sites on the North West coast where the business and leisure are in potential conflict if the plans go ahead.
Mr Chalmers adds: "We will do everything in our power to present the concerns of our Members to Government. We will also continue to advise and support Members with concerns who can contact us at the Regional Office on 015395 67597."
Commenting on a remark made by Martin Doughty, Natural England Chairman, at CLA's Cornish AGM, Mr Chalmers said:
"It is not helpful when the Chairman of Natural England tells an audience of landowners that if they didn't like Government's plans for their land, "they should sell up".
"There is no doubt that this is a very contentious subject, with strong views on both sides of the argument. However, from the land managers' point of view, the concerns are clear.
"Why is there a presumption against compensation? It is grossly unfair that businesses can be affected and incomes threatened without any redress.
Suggestions that recompense may come via environmental payments are not guaranteed and are of little comfort when we know that these funds are already stretched. We also remain concerned about the issue of liability. We are all aware of the dangers of walking along some parts of the Coast, and I for one would not like to choose between facing a newly calved cow and a cliff edge.
"70% of the English coastline already has some form of legal right or formally recognised access and Natural England itself has admitted that there is no groundswell of concern about the existing situation."
"Indeed, visitors appear satisfied with this existing provision and we have to ask if this exercise will repeat the process of implementing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, which took years, spent millions, and does not appear to have increased the number of walkers nor the places they go.
"The need or demand for new legislation simply does not exist and we must have a more measured debate that addresses the real issues affecting real people."
The CLA will shortly be taking representatives of Natural England to see particular sites on the North West coast where the business and leisure are in potential conflict if the plans go ahead.
Mr Chalmers adds: "We will do everything in our power to present the concerns of our Members to Government. We will also continue to advise and support Members with concerns who can contact us at the Regional Office on 015395 67597."
No Comments
Nobody has posted any comments on this story.
|
Farming items for Sale
|
New Holland T4050F - Omagh(GBP 32394)
Used Massey Ferguson 2008 MF8480 - Barnack
(Price on Application)
(Price on Application)
Massey Ferguson 5445 - Tiverton(GBP 22200)
Challenger Mt875c - Luton(GBP 169500)
International 956XL - York(GBP 4750)
Related News
CLA attacks Natural England plans to traipse over private gardens in coastal access shock - 05 Jun 2008The CLA has condemned Natural England's shock announcement that it wants to remove safeguards in the new public right of access to the English coa...
Natural England takes wrong turning on coastal access - NFU - 15 Feb 2007Natural England's plans for creating a statutory right of access to coastal land have been sharply criticised by the NFU as being a recipe for con...
CLA puts record straight on Campaign for the Farmed Environment after Natural England comments - 08 Jun 2009The CLA today spoke out in response to comments made by Natural England’s Chief Executive Dr Helen Phillips on the proposals for the Campaign fo...
NFU warns Natural England that food production and the market place must not be ignored - 26 Oct 2009The NFU is warning that Natural England’s Upland Vision should fully recognise the importance of food production and the market place for upland...
After £3 million, Access Project Failed to Deliver a Single Goal – Says CLA - 26 Feb 2008A multi million pound project to unearth discarded and disused rights of way looks set to be ditched – thanks to a campaign led by the Country Land an...
More Is Not Necessarily Better – Says Coastal Access Forum - 23 Mar 2008Quality is more important than quantity – that's the message this Easter from an influential body set up to examine the issue of public access to ...
Access system needs to be modernised, say CLA - 24 Feb 2012The CLA today published The Right Way Forward: The CLA’s common sense approach to access in the countryside ’ calling for a shake-up of th...
CLA says electronic tagging not required by the sheep industry - 21 Oct 2007The news that Defra is seriously considering introducing individual electronic sheep tagging has been met with horror by the CLA in the North East. ...
Fly-tipping survey results could not be more wrong says CLA - 25 Sep 2008The CLA have hit back at a claim in a survey carried out by Defra"e;s Keep Britain Tidy campaign that "all councils were judged to have fly-tippin...
Address broadband need not opportunity says CLA - 25 Mar 2009The CLA in the north has reacted with mixed feelings to the announcement that BT is to roll out a super-fast broadband network to six UK cities by 201...
